


Would You Do Me the Humble Favor of Forgetting I Love You?

by MythologyPastry



Category: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - Dr. Seuss
Genre: Angst, Bullying, Childhood Sweethearts, Christmas, Crushes, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Forests, Heartache, Heartbreak, Hickies, Kissing, Love, Neck Kissing, Pre-Canon, Sad Ending, School Dances, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25567291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MythologyPastry/pseuds/MythologyPastry
Summary: It's been almost a decade since the Grinch fled for Mt. Crumpit. While she still loves Christmas, Martha struggles to get through the season without thinking about him and what could have been. When they stumble into each other, will she be able to get him out of her head?
Relationships: The Grinch/Martha May Whovier
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	Would You Do Me the Humble Favor of Forgetting I Love You?

**Author's Note:**

> Martha May Whovier is the epitome of something, I'm just not sure what.

¨What makes you think Martha would do that anyway? She hasn't even grown into her nose, let alone figured out how to go alone. Climbing Mount Crumpit takes talent." Sally Whoberg laughs, a loud cruel laugh that blows at the back of Martha's hair. The Whovier frowns. This topic is ever so popular when Christmas rolls around.

"Well, she has to see her boyfriend. The Grinch." Freddy Cloverwho adds in from beside Martha, grinning straight at Martha's increasingly red face. "He won't come see her, so she has to go see him. It's simple. Only an idiot would try to beg him to come down to town anymore."

Martha tries so desperately not to take the bait, but she turns to look Freddy in his beady eyes anyway. "I do not beg, and I don't wallow after him." Even if everyone knows she does, that's besides the point. She takes a sip from her hot chocolate. "You're just jealous I turned you down to the dance, and Sally's just jealous you asked me."

Sally gasps from behind her. Freddy mutters something and gets up from his desk, practically running into the hall out of embarrassment or perhaps from Sally. Whatever scares him more, she supposes. It suits him right, she thinks, for bringing up Grinchy like that in front of her. Jerks, the lot of them.

She does miss Grinchy terribly though.

"Have you ever thought about it though?" Sally asks from behind her. "Going up there to see him?"

Martha exhales. "I would never dare."

"Me neither, girl. He's weird."

-

She stands in front of the mirror, glaring at the ivy green of her dress. No matter what she does with her makeup or her hair, something just doesn't feel right. Her updo is secured with red ribbon that matches her holly lips, but she still feels a fool.

Her mother knocks on her door, and Martha sighs. "I'll be down in a minute, Momma."

She grabs her shoes, the stairs too much a hassle for heels. Her mother waits by the door, a twinkle in her eyes. "Are you sure that you'll just be with friends, pet? You look so pretty not to dance with a nice boy."

Martha groans. She can see Jessie Lou Who waiting in the yard, her yellow dress like the soft candlelight of midnight adventures. "Momma, not now please."

"Alright. You know when to come home!"

She opens the door, waving at Jessie when she answers, "Yes, eleven."

"Good." And with that, Martha closes the door and ventures off into the snow towards her friend. "Hi Jessie!"

"Hi Martha! You look really pretty!"

She smiles and teases her skirt a bit. "My, I'm glad you think so. Isn't this green just darling?"

Jessie laughs. "Martha, your favorite color is green."

"Well," She didn't have much to say to that. It's true. She's always loved green. "It's very much in the spirit."

But the look they share before walking into town tells Martha that Jessie already knows the bigger reason she always wears green to the school dances. Martha glances up at the imposing Mount Crumpit, a sight she's become fascinated with ever since the Grinch had left and rumors about his home started. 

A faint memory of a man, a teacher no less, speaking. " _I heard he eats kids up there. It ain't right_."

"Jessie?"

"Yeah?"

Martha laughs, a little uncertain. "Will you dance with Augustus if he comes to bug me? I don't think he's gotten the hint."

Jessie groans. "He always makes fun of my brother, and he's so rude, thinks he's all that." But at the look of Martha's pleading eyes, Jessie sighs and says, "Fine, but only one dance. If he comes up again, you're on your own."

"Thank you, Jessie. I really do appreciate you."

-

Dances are supposed to be fun. Why isn't she having fun?

It's all the mistletoe she's had to dodge, or perhaps it's the growing discomfort of both Augustus and Freddy ogling her from across the room. She stops, watching Jessie take Sally by the hand as they go to dance to another upbeat song. With her best friend out of commission, Martha decides to walk outside for a bit, grateful her heels aren't too high as to be total torture.

Whoville is truly pretty when the stars twinkle. The roar of the party is still fresh in her ears, so she ventures off towards a path they use to run laps. She's careful when she goes down the steps, aware that even small grooves and sticks could be hidden under the soft layer of snow.

There's no one here. It really is quite beautiful, just to be alone with her thoughts for once and not pawed at by boys.

It's just after she thinks that when she hits a rock and falls flat on her face. She raises her hands to her face in panic, less hurt and more worried about her makeup, but when she looks up, she sees she's not alone anymore.

"Martha?" Asks the Grinch, just down the path a few steps and a trail of disturbed snow to his side leading up to the trees. He's wearing a black cloak, and he looks more worried than sour.

She's so shocked at the sight of someone who's occupied her mind all day, she starts to cry. She can feel him get closer, and she chokes out, "Stop."

"You want me to leave." His tone is final, like she's confirmed something he's always wondered. The realization he's about to go makes her almost cry harder, but she looks up before he heads back the trail to Mount Crumpit and forces herself to speak.

"No!" He stares at her, shock written all over his face. She's so afraid of him leaving again. "I just thought..." _That I would look nicer? That you would want to stay?_ "That this would be on better terms, when we saw each other again."

"Then get up." She laughs at the soft, affectionate snark in his voice and rubs the tears from her cheeks. He hesitates, but he offers her his hand anyway.

Martha takes it like a lifeline, letting him pull her up gently and trying not to think about his fur. It's still as soft as ever.

He's staring at her like he wants to say something, but he doesn't. She puts her second hand on his arm. "I've missed you," she says, trying not to laugh out of delight.

"Sure you have."

She shakes her head. "I have."

The Grinch regards her with a weary look. "I doubt that. I'm too different from all those yuletide wholigans."

She pauses. "You're not different to me, not like that."

"Like what?"

Is he really going to make her explain that, after all this time? Her body fills with panic.

He huffs, slipping his arm away from her and turning towards the trees. "I'm going home! You're okay. I don't need to stay."

"Wait! Would you stay if I wasn't?" The Grinch's face flashes back to hers in a second, and she flinches. She takes a step closer, close enough that she can feel his breath on her face. "Grinchy?" Martha knows she's being brave because she's already made a fool of herself when she continues. "If I tell you that I'm not okay, will you stay?"

His face scrunches up. "Well... Your makeup needs work." From anyone else, it would be unkind, but she can tell from the way his eyes won't leave hers that he's looking for a reason to stay too.

She brings her hands to her cheeks, her body flush with both embarrassment and excitement. "I must look awful." She can only imagine what her face looks like now, after the whirlwind of emotion she had when she saw him again.

"You look like something alright." He flicks his face up to the sky when he says it, but he can't help but glance back down when she doesn't say anything in response. There's something about his face she can't place.

She wipes off the last of her tears with her hands. Martha can't look him in the eye for the question she wants to ask, too scared to even try and flirt. She focuses on where his fur peeks out between the cloak. He's so green, just like her dress and her sheets and her favorite new shoes.

"What?" He asks, looking down at his chest.

Martha strengthens her resolve, meeting his face. "Would you like to dance?" She calls herself a coward, only willing to ask him when she's certain no one will come bother them. She can hear Sally and Freddy now if they were to get caught. And Jessie wouldn't say anything, but she wouldn't approve either, Martha's sure. _Why care for someone who can't, or won't, return those feelings?_

Grinch says nothing in response, just shakes his head like a fearful deer.

Her heart sinks to her shoes. It was a stupid question.

"Hey," he says softly. Martha bites her lip. He looks so conflicted it's bordering on constipated. "You should go. Someone will notice." _Notice me_ , he means.

She refuses to cry again. "I do have a curfew."

"Of course you do," he mutters.

But they don't move. She exhales shakily and puts her hands up on his shoulders. She's terrified of him leaving now. "Don't move," she warns him quietly.

He couldn't if he wanted to anyway. The Grinch is fully awestruck by this moment just like she is, but she can't let that stop her.

Martha pushes up on her toes and meets his mouth with hers. She closes her eyes and gasps as he kisses her back. His hands come to rest tentatively by her hips, and she knows that nothing so far in her life has compared to this.

After a while, she needs to breathe, and she pulls away, resting her forehead against his. There's red over his mouth, and she giggles when she realizes that it's from her. "That was something," he says. "Here."

"What?" She barely gets it out before he's tugging her back in for another kiss, his hands more confidently grabbing at her hips. She shivers but meets his lips eagerly. The Grinch groans, breaking the kiss to brush his lips against her jaw.

"You smell so good," he murmurs against her skin. Her heart is pounding a mile a minute, but this is nothing compared to when he presses a firm kiss against her neck. She cries out as he starts to suck and nibble, the wet push of his tongue driving her wild. He moans and says quietly, "You taste good too."

She tugs him closer, wanting him to kiss harder until she has a hickey to hide the next day, but there's faint laughter from behind them. She practically jumps from the Grinch's arms when she realizes it's getting louder, and she turns to see if they've been caught. The path is still empty, but she knows it won't be for long.

"What, you hiding something?" He asks from behind her, his tone darker than she's ever heard. She jolts and turns to face him. His posture, just a minute ago eager, is defeated. Martha has never seen him so disappointed with her before. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. "Don't worry princess, I'm leaving."

"No, you don't-"

"Martha." She can hear her heart breaking, yet again, please not again. "This was a mistake."

He starts to trudge back up the snow. Martha tugs her hands to her chest. "But, I don't regret a second of it, Grinch."

There's a moment of complete silence, and then he bellows, "I do!"

She covers her mouth as she starts to cry. She can't stand to watch him go, and she turns from him with only half a heart. Martha slowly takes the path back towards the school. After a while, she bumps into Jessie, who grabs her shoulders as Martha sways unsteadily.

"Hey, girlie! You okay?" Martha rapidly shakes her head, and Jessie tugs her in for a big hug. "I'm gonna walk you home. It's okay. You're gonna be okay with me, Martha." Her friend rubs at her back, cooing softly into her hair.

She doesn't think she's ever going to be okay again, but she lets Jessie lead them home. She doesn't ask any questions and gives Martha a soft kiss on the brow when they get to her front stoop. "I'll bring you cookies tomorrow."

"Thanks, Jessie."

Jessie smiles, but she's never been good at hiding her worry. "Anytime."

Martha watches Jessie walk off, and when she can't see her anymore, she breathes in deeply. She opens the door and can hear her parents in the kitchen playing cards.

"Pet, is that you? Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, Momma." Martha's face hurts from how much she's forcing the happiness in her voice. "I'm really tired though. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!"

"That sounds great, pumpkin," her father chimes in. "Sleep well, we love you."

"I love you too." Martha makes her way upstairs. She kicks off her shoes, brushes her teeth, and changes into her softest nightgown. But even after all of that, she still stares at the mirror, tracing her finger over the red blotch on her neck.

She slams her hand on her vanity.

Martha pulls the ribbon from her hair and tugs her brush roughly through the tresses. After staring at the clown in the mirror, she sighs and wipes off all of her makeup. So much for feeling pretty.

She tucks herself into bed, looking out the window that faces his mountain.

"Goodnight, Grinch," she says. "I love you. I'm sorry."

**Author's Note:**

> i CANNOT believe im here doing this again but HERE i am


End file.
